The 51st annual CMA Fest kicked off Thursday (June 6), with a lineup of artists performing on nearly a dozen outdoor and indoor stages in downtown Nashville. As the sun set, a throng of festival-goers — many sunburned and already clocking in hours of music that day — descended on Nashville's Nissan Stadium to see some of country music's biggest artists of the moment perform the their successes.
“Last year marked 50 years of CMA Fest, and the next 50 years begin tonight,” Nashville, Tennessee Mayor Freddie O'Connell told the crowd. Last year's CMA Fest reported 90,000 attendees daily from all 50 states, as well as more than 50 countries. CMA Fest also generated $74.7 million in estimated direct visitor spending, according the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. The annual festival serves as a huge Nashville welcome party for country music fans, with 61% of last year's CMA Fest attendees estimated to be new to the festival, according to a overview by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp.
Artists on the main stage on Thursday night highlighted a jumble of soundscapes, starting with selected Cowboy Carter contributory and current AMERICA has talent Contestant Reyna Roberts performs the national anthem — followed by performances from Craig Morgan, Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, Shaboozey, Thomas Rhett and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Nissan Stadium Platform stage featured Chapel Hart and Dylan Gossett.
Of course, it wouldn't be CMA Fest without a few surprise guests — and Thursday night's lineup didn't disappoint, as Post Malone made an appearance, playing with longtime country creator Blake Shelton.
Here, we look at 5 top moments from Thursday night's CMA Fest lineup:
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Thomas Rhett delivers new music, Smash Hits
Thomas Rhett made the most of his performance at CMA Fest, offering fans a double download of new music, including his recently released “Gone Country” (not to be confused with Alan Jackson's 1994 hit of the same name). Playing a green guitar, with a guitar strap named after one of his daughters, Willa, he also offered songs inspired by his family, including new song “Beautiful As You.” But the highlight of his set came with his performance of 2015's “Die a Happy Man,” which he turned into a vocal showcase by the end — changing the lyrics to sing, “I think if Nashville, Tennessee is the last show Ever , never, never play/ I think I could die a happy man.”
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Craig Morgan salutes the military
The multi-talented Morgan opened Thursday night's CMA Fest concerts at Nissan Stadium with Morgan's yachting hits including “Redneck Yacht Club,” “That's What I Love About Sunday” and “Almost Home.”
Morgan, who has served in the US military for nearly two decades and rejoined the Army Reserve in 2023, dedicated the song “Soldiers” to members of the US military. He asked those in attendance who are serving or have served in any branch of the US military to raise their hands. “These people represent less than 1 percent serving in the U.S. military,” Morgan said. “Thank you and thank you to your families. We wouldn't be here without you.”
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Ashley McBryde and Gretchen Wilson bring “Redneck” energy.
Grammy winner Ashley McBryde brought the rock vibes early in her set, strapping on an electric guitar and opening with “Blackout Betty” from her album 2023 The Devil I know. She followed up with songs like “One Night Standards” and her breakthrough hit “Girl Going Nowhere.” But the crowd showed its redneck side when McBride welcomed Gretchen Wilson to the stage to perform Wilson's 2004 classic “Redneck Woman.” The collaboration between the two singer-songwriters highlighted the long-lasting influence of unfiltered songwriting and Wilson's sound, as it was clear that McBryde has taken these influences and made them her own.
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Shaboozey makes the stadium world a little “wicked”
Shaboozey brought his worldwide hit to CMA Fest, performing “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” from a center stage in the crowd—singing, twirling, getting the crowd to raise their hands, and instantly turning up the party vibes. pushing the audience of over 60,000 people to raise their glasses full of drinks and exchange their stress for some party moments filled with music.
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Post Malone, Blake Shelton Surprise the audience
Post Malone made a surprise appearance Thursday night by performing his current Billboard Hot 100 hit “I Had Some Help” (sans Morgan Wallen, who is currently on his One Night at a Time tour). Walking through the crowd and singing from a satellite stage, Post Malone's surprise performance marked the highlight of the night as the crowd erupted into cheers and chanted the song's lyrics. This moment was further enhanced when Post Malone welcomed a special guest.
“I'm making an album right now and I'd just like to introduce one of my guests: Blake Shelton,” Post Malone said. They sang their newly teased collaboration “Pour Me a Drink,” with Shelton's full-bodied voice matching Posty's energetic vocals.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/cma-fest-thursday-night-nissan-stadium-lineup/
